I'm Right Beside You
by ChildOfLight511
Summary: When one of them gets hurt, they rely on each other for comforting. Spoilers from KK5, KK6 or KK7.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**A/N: Takes place after KK6 and has spoilers. This is how the Keepers try to relax after the cruise. Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

** Finn's POV**

Brokenness and guilt was all I felt.

After the special DHI cruise, my mom offered to take me and my friends over to Fort Wilderness, because she knew the Keepers and I needed a little break from all that has happened.

So there we were. In a little RV that was supposed to bond us kids, without using an unhealthy heap of adrenaline, danger and pressure.

First, Willa and the guys beckoned (more like _forced_) me onto the bike trails. Mom, of course brought my BMX, Willa's mom's van carried her mountain bike, Maybeck would glide along on _his _BMX, while Philby would ride on his scooter throughout the trails weaving in and out through vegetation. Charlene, Amanda and Jess rode on one of the golf carts cheering us on, since they didn't bring along their bikes.

We got out of the cozy RV. When I took a glimpse at Willa's bike, I had to do a double take.

Her bike was mostly grey and black, while some gears are red and white. It was truly a mountain bike, with the dials attached on the handles and the cables under parts of the frame. The wheels were rough and caked with patches of dirt. Not a sight of pink.

Philby and Maybeck were also gaping; their mouths hung open in shock. Willa smirked at our reactions.

"Is this your bike Willa?" Maybeck inquired, scratching his head, struggling to decide if it was just a hallucination or not. She nodded.

"Got it for my birthday." She replied. Maybeck raised his eyebrows, reaching his hand out for it, to test if it wasn't a holographic illusion. We all knew Willa wasn't the biggest girly girl on the planet, but we never expected this from her.

"Would've expected blue or something." He muttered. Philby and I chuckled as Willa glared at him, having heard that.

The RV door suddenly flew open and the other three hopped out. Amanda jiggled the key as she held it up, like it was a prized jewel.

"I declare, that I, Amanda Lockhart, will drive the golf cart!" She announced in a mock medieval tone. Jess groaned in disappointment.

"I call backseat!" Charlene yelled, running for the seat she claimed. Jess trudged behind her, pouting. But then she spotted Willa's bike.

"Nice bike Wills!" Jess complimented. Willa beamed.

"Thanks!" She replied. Charlene and Amanda were fighting over the last Goofy Glacier left while Maybeck and Philby were examining Willa's bike, mumbling their incoherent thoughts to either themselves or to each other.

"Are we gonna go or not?" I interjected, irritated. Biking clears my head, and I was eager to do that. I had to get away from the horrific memories. They tilted their heads in confusion, since it's a rarity to see me so snappy. "Well?" They quickly nodded, and then we disembarked.

We passed by other golf carts, motor coaches and their stations, trailers, and the scarce cars; we acknowledged dog walkers, joggers, and our fellow bike riders with waves, small smiles or nods; we pedaled over hills of pavement and zoomed downhill on sidewalks that snaked around the vegetation. We went over the bridge, cruising along wooden fences while the trees towered over us. The ever-growing plants loomed overhead, forming a shield against the scorching UV rays.

Birds twittered and flew past us, nearly colliding with our bikes, causing us to cry out. Squirrels scampered across the ground bounding towards the branches or diving behind the arching roots that made me think of brown rainbows.

Leaves fluttered down gently, some landing on our helmets or floating down toward the pavement beneath the wheels, just to get launched up in the air again. Rainwater trickled into the culverts that were semi-buried in the packed Earth, resembling creeks. Some kids even pretended to fish from it.

Soon enough, we're at the Meadows Swimming Pool. _Yay, _I thought sardonically to myself.

It wasn't the _grandest_ pool with the _grandest_ slide. It was just…a pool, three or four feet deep at the most, with a slide attached to it. The slide was wide but short, the ride only lasting about twelve seconds. But waiting in line has its perks.

The view was breathtaking. Birds were flitting about, zipping from treetop to treetop. Canoes glided across the water, the paddles causing little ripples to travel to the bank. Shouts from happy little kids in the playground hung in the air, while the volleyball game nearby thumps to a changing beat. It sure tears your eyes away from the wooden, algae-ridden steps.

Gray clouds shrouded the blue sky. Drizzles turned to downpours. Lightning flashed and the pool closed. We followed the Cast Members into the hooded picnic area where the concession stand and arcade was. They started a game of trivia for Pixar movies. Of course, Willa answered most of the questions, especially for Brave.

"What is the name of Merida's horse?"

"Angus!" Willa immediately yelled.

"What're the names of the triplets?"

"Hamish…Hubert and…" A boy called out, but trailed off. He was trying to remember the last one.

"Harris right?" Willa called out. Maybeck nodded.

"It's probably that. Right?" He sounded unsure. Charlene agreed with him. Of course. The Cast Member actually wasn't sure.

"Can someone please look it up?" The Cast Member sheepishly asked, blushing. The two other Cast Members were playfully teasing her.

I flipped my phone open and quickly searched for it.

"She's right!" As always. "I looked it up." I added, for proof. Round of applause.

Later at 7:30, Mom roasted marshmallows with us and we created S'mores. The moist marshmallows made our mouth sticky. Chocolate dribbled down our chins and unfortunately for the girls, marshmallow goo latched onto their hair.

We sang along to the Bonfire Songs with Chip and Dale, and mumbled the unfamiliar lyrics. Amanda laughed while we did the hokey pokey and I chuckled along with her. I spun her around, encouraging her to laugh uncontrollably. I did the same to Jess and then twirled both at the same time. We chortled as we sang along.

Then came the movie. We spectated Merida shooting arrows, the encounter with the Witch, and Merida teaching her mother how to fish like a bear. We laughed at the triplet's antics, while teasing Philby about how well he could be related to them.

He just shrugged and accepted Willa's head on his shoulder, shoving popcorn into his mouth, like he didn't have a care in the world.

While having a complexion on his face that almost matched his hair.

We shed a few tears near the end (especially Charlene, who Maybeck comforted back into her composed self), when Merida finally admits that it was all her fault, apologizing over and over again to her bear mom. We applauded for the ending.

We navigated our way to our RV. Willa and Charlene's mom, Jelly, and Katrina agreed to have an RV for them and the four girls.

The other vehicle was for us guys and our families, excluding Maybeck's. It wasn't as cramped as we thought. My mom slept on one bed, Mrs. Philby slept on another. Maybeck and I claimed bunks while Philby took the pull out. Willa's two brothers brought sleeping bags that they set up on the floor.

I stared at the ceiling. Dillard's still watching over me, and he wouldn't want me to be sad.

He just wants me to have fun with my friends I have every chance I get.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**A/N: This is between KK6 and KK7! One of the things that happened between those three years! Hope you enjoy!**

**Willa's POV**

I swung the front door open and soon found myself staring at Maybeck.

_Maybeck._

"Aren't you going to let me in?"

"You didn't say the magic word."

"The mag-"I interrupted him with a glare. He pouted and mumbled "May I please come in?"

"Sure! Why not?" I beamed at him half-heartedly, sarcasm weaved into my words. I held the door open for him and flourished my hand for him to enter. He rolled his eyes and walked in.

"Hello Terry!" My mother greeted.

"Hello ma'am, how are you?" He inquired politely. A rarity. _Why can't he be polite all the time?_

"I'm doing well, so are you I take it?" She smiled.

"Yes Mrs. Angelo." He nodded. But his eyes told another answer. My mother flashed him a smile before she sprinted up the stairs to tend the needs of my little brothers.

It was obvious that he misses Charlene. You could see it in his posture, his voice, and in his slightly hidden expression. He tried concealing it with witty remarks and sarcastic retorts, but deep inside, he's aching. All of us Keepers could see that._ If only he opened up and talked about it._ I veered my gaze from the tiled floor to him as I heard my name being said.

"Wills? You alright?" He asked with a concerned look. _I should be asking that to you, _I thought to myself. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied. "So, what's up?"

"The sky, and gas prices." I grinned at the over-used answer, as I walked in the kitchen. I grabbed two water bottles from the fridge and tossed one over to him. He caught it and plopped down on the couch.

"How are things with…"I trailed off, realizing I might've sparked unintentional pain inside of Maybeck.

"Fine." He sighed. I tilted my head and raised my eyebrows.

"You sure?" I asked. He nodded. His phone buzzed with vibration. Probably Charlene.

And as always I was right! His face suddenly brightened up and he immediately texted back. He briefly glanced at me and simply said, "Charlene." I smirked. _Kind of obvious Maybeck._

"You miss her don't you?" I questioned. His face softened and he nodded.

"I'm happy for her, but it's just that we barely get to see her anymore."

"But we do see her a lot!" I quipped.

"On TV." He grumbled in a disgruntled, grouchy manner. "It isn't the same anymore." He finished, but with a gentler tone. I smiled sadly at him.

"You know, when she texts me, she talks about how she misses you so much." His face wasn't dull anymore.

"Really?" He timidly asked. He didn't want to express how much that interested him. How happy that made him feel.

"It's been agony for her! She can't even visit us on holidays because she's stuck doing specials!" I nearly yelled.

He wasn't convinced yet. "What if she meets some other guy?"

"At the rate on which you're texting, she's probably pining for you right now. Like you are at the moment."

He glared and grumbled, "Well if you put it that way…" He never finished his thought.

"So, why'd you turn to me?" I questioned, wondering why he didn't turn to any of the others.

"I guess you're the most caring out of any of us. And anyway if I turned to Philby or Finn, there would be some blackmail." I interrupted him with a scoff.

"I doubt they would." He shrugged.

"And plus, I think Jess kind of likes me." I raised my eyebrows in shock.

"And since Amanda is her sister…" I trailed off yet again.

"See! Another reason why I turned to you! You're understanding, too."

"You must've really changed a lot!" I exclaimed. Maybeck giving a lot of compliments in a row: also, a rarity.

"I give a lot of compliments to you!" He protested. I smirked once he realized what he said. "Compared to the others." He added coolly. Or at least he _thought_ he did. I rolled my eyes.

"You know, before you and Charlie started dating, I thought you liked Jess." I admitted.

"I thought that too, and honestly I had a _tiny _crush on you."

"Kind of obvious if you ask me."

"Hey! But you know I'm over it."

"But anyways, I think the artistic couple thing could work if you and Charlene don't."

"But that's the thing, I don't want it to end."

"I'm sure she'll be squeezing the life out of you once you two reunite."

"You really think so Wills?"

"Positive."

"Thanks." He hugged me and I did the same.

"No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

**Just Willa helping Maybeck with girl troubles. If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them with me!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**A/N: Takes place in KK5, when Finn spent the night at Dillard's after he found out that his mother was compromised.**

**Finn's POV**

"Finn? What're you doing here?" Dillard asked. He helped me hop through his bedroom window. I heaved in and out, trying to catch my breath.

"I'm sorry Dillard." I apologized for the sudden arrival. I explained my situation the best I can, hopeful that he can understand. But he _should_ understand-he helped us out before.

I took a shaky breath and explained everything to him: how I went to Typhoon Lagoon, how I encountered Triton and Ursula, how Amanda came to save me, how we rushed back to the car only to find out that my mom's…evil. He listened to every word with a thoughtful expression.

"How'd you find out?" He inquired with a gentle tone. I told him how I noticed that her azure eyes were gone, and how they were changed into a poisonous green. I'm beginning to hate the vibrant hue, despite my eyes being that very color.

_But mine are natural._

As I settled down onto the sleeping bag we found in his cluttered closet, anger and hatred towards the Overtakers flooded my mind. _I couldn't think straight_. Was this some way to break me? To weaken or distract me?

I couldn't fully grasp that my mom was now the enemy. That we were on different sides now. I wondered what she's doing right now. I wondered when my dad would realize that the color of his wife's eyes have changed.

_Yeah right,_ I thought to myself, _I doubt he would notice it in a week._

Hot, angry tears slithered down my cheeks, sparking a memory…

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Mommy, I don't like it. It's scary!" My five year old self cried out, hiding behind Mom's leg. We were at a zoo, looking at one of those snake habitats. I gripped her hand, afraid that the serpent would find some way to escape its exhibit and attack me. I felt a gentle hand on my back._

_ "__Don't worry Finny, nothing bad will happen." She flashed me a reassuring smile. I stopped trembling, and put my hand against the glass. I smiled at the snake, and its beady eyes twinkled. "See, it won't hurt you. It can't."_

_I looked up to her._

_ "__I'm right here, right beside you."_

* * *

><p>I gasped in shock. Dillard, who was at the brink of slumber, jerked up. He turned around to look at me and spotted the trails of teardrops staining my face. He clambered over to me and gave me a brotherly hug.<p>

"I'm always here for you buddy." He reassured me, but that only induced more tears. He stared at me sadly, searching for some way to console me. _Some way to alleviate my sadness_.

"Dillard…" I trailed off.

"Don't worry Finn, I'm right here." He said. The tears continued to flow.

"Stop saying that!" I heaved in a deep breath. "My mom said that to me before. Look where she is now! I don't want to lose you to the Overtakers, too." My voice trembled; my body is a volcano of devastated sobs.

"Finn. I would never be an OTK!" He promised me. "Being a Keeper is way cooler." A smile tugged at my mouth. "And Finn…"

"Yeah?"

"Just know that I'm always right beside you."

**Thanks for all of your follows and reviews! I really appreciate them! If you guys have any suggestions feel free to share them with me! :)**

**KK/Guest: Thank you! I really appreciate it! You're fabulous, too! :)**

**KerotheFrog: Haha! Yeah, it kind of does sound like that! Don't worry, she's still alive and breathing! :) Also, thanks for liking my description in the first chapter!**

**cherryfeather101: Will do! I always loved their bond with each other! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**A/N: Hi guys! Here's another one-shot that takes place in between KK6 and KK7! This is mainly about Finn and Willa, but all the Keepers will be mentioned! Requested by cherryfeather101 (Hope you enjoy it!)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the Kingdom Keepers, Frozen or Disney.**

**Willa's POV**

My hands shook at the thought of diving in. _Sure, I was okay during practice, but I wasn't under all of this pressure._ Despite being indoors, I could still feel the frigid wind nipping at my arms and legs. The sting was familiar; it felt like the force of those salty waves…

I shook my head at the thought. _What's the matter with me?_ Noticing my dark expression, the coach approached me with worry.

"You alright Angelo?" She inquired with a concerned tone. I nodded and reassured her that I was 'just fine'. She patted my back gently and stated, "This is just fifty meters Willa. You've performed beautifully before! What could go wrong this time?"

I went on a supposedly fun and festive cruise for two weeks in the summer with my friends. _What went wrong there?_

Soon, I found myself standing on the edge of the pool, crouching down, awaiting the whistle. I heard a shrill tweet and I immediately dove into the water, impressing the commentators with my reaction time. A split second before I went under, the crystal clear water turned murky and dark. Caught off guard, I gasped for air at the wrong second, accidently inhaling the chlorinated water. Bubbles erupted from my mouth and nose as I try to ignore the bile rising in my throat. The floating, fizzy spheres tickled my cheeks. I dolphin kicked rapidly, my arms still pressed against my head and my hands together, still maintaining my streamline position._ Dolphin kick…dolphins…rescuing you-_

_Snap out of it Willa! _I scolded myself. _You have other things to focus on! _

I hurriedly broke through the surface, heaving for air. My arms paddled alternatively as my feet started to flutter-kick.

As I turned my head to breathe, I saw gray storm clouds and a ship drifting away from me. My arms jolted with surprise as my back arched, causing the drag to slow me down. I swiftly glanced back to see my opponents catching up to me.

_Oh great…_

My strokes were faster and more frequent now, but every time I looked down towards the pool floor, the silhouettes of my splashes rippling in circles mesmerized me. Given how fast they landed in the water, they reminded me of fireworks.

_Fireworks…the jungle…me and Charlene...Philby…_

I felt a thud and something hard hit my hand and my head. My palm was stinging. My vision grew dimmer and dimmer and I saw something maroon floating in the water. I thought I heard a muffled tweet as I drifted to sleep.

* * *

><p>I sighed as I read the newspaper article for the umpteenth time, my eyes scanning the words on the page angrily. Every time my bandaged hand came into view, frustration shot through my body. Every time I looked at the mirror, I glared at my wrapped up forehead.<p>

Despite me winning first place, I never got to stand on the podium because I was too busy getting rushed to the hospital. I apparently scratched the palm of my hand against the pool's edge and my head bumped against the wall.

I heard a knock on the front door and gawked at Lawrence Finnegan Whitman. In his arms was a giant purple teddy bear. He smirked at my expression, and probably how ridiculous I looked with my new 'head band'.

"Go ahead and laugh Finn." I growled. He shook his head.

"We're here to take care of you!" He cheekily stated. He handed me the teddy bear, and walked in.

"What do you mean by 'we're'? And most importantly…WHY?" I asked.

"Because we made him." Amanda and Jess suddenly appeared and gave me a hug. Finn scoffed.

"That is so not true!" He protested. My mom spotted the three of them.

"Hello Amanda, Jess and Finn!" She greeted.

"Hi Mrs. Angelo." They replied.

"Please keep her safe you three. Thank you for taking care of her while I do some errands!" My mouth hung open. _How come I didn't know about this? _My mother kissed me on the cheek and waved goodbye. I turned to the them. I opened my mouth to speak but Amanda beat me to it.

"Have you eaten lunch yet?" Amanda inquired. I shook my head.

"Wait, why do I need to be taken care of? I can take care of myself!" I exclaimed. Finn instantly shook his head again.

"No, no, no, no, no, NO! You might hit yourself with a frying pan! Or accidently nick yourself with a knife!" I scowled at him, but he ignored it. While Amanda and Jess walked into the kitchen, arguing about what they should cook, Finn ordered me to sit on the couch in the living room. He placed the remote very gently on my uninjured hand, making sure it pointed at the TV. Suddenly he gasped.

"Oh no! You're right handed and you injured your right hand! Looks like we have to feed you!" I screamed at the thought, causing Jess to rush in from the kitchen, the door flying open. She sighed exasperatedly, realizing that Finn was only messing with me. She trudged back to Amanda, turning back to glare at Finn before shutting the door. He laughed. "I'm kidding Willa. But if it hurts to use your right hand, let us know." He said with a serious and sincere tone. I smiled.

"Alright, I'll let Amanda and Jess know." I giggled as he attempted to look hurt. He gave my shoulder a squeeze and took a seat next to me.

"So Willa, what happened?" Finn inquired with a concerned look on his face. Fortunately, news reporters and interviewers haven't bombarded me with questions. _Yet._

"Well remember in the middle of the cruise, when we jumped…" I trailed off. He nodded and encouraged me to keep on going.

"Well right before the competition, the water suddenly reminded me of the ocean we dove into. And as I continued to swim I saw the ship sailing away from us and I was thinking of the dolphins. And at the end, how the water looked like made me distracted and unfocused. That's why I hit my head and my hand on the wall."

"What did the water look like?"

"The fireworks that were on Castaway Cay. You know, the ones that distracted the people from the plane landing." He looked perplexed at first, but decided to not ask anymore.

"What happened when I was knocked out?" He looked confused again.

"Didn't your mom already tell you what happened?" He asked.

"I want it from a different point of view." He smiled.

"Okay, well we all were freaking out in the audience, especially Philby. He looked like he had a panic attack." I rolled my eyes as he teasingly poked me. "Well anyways, our parents totally agreed on following the ambulance. They took you to the hospital because you blacked out and almost drowned. We were all crying during the ride there-"

"Really!? Even Maybeck?" He nodded with a small grin. We heard laughter from the kitchen but Finn continued to talk.

"Even at the hospital! Philby demanded to know when we got to see you." I blushed at that. "Charlie, Jess, and Mandy kept sobbing." I heard Amanda protest at that from the kitchen. "But we were really happy when they said that it wasn't that serious. There wasn't a lot of water in your lungs, because they immediately got you out once they saw that you hit your head. They also said that your head and your hand weren't serious injuries as long as the cut doesn't get infected."

"Yeah." I replied. But he wasn't done yet.

"And Willa, you have to remember that we're alright now. And that you should only remember the good things that have happened. Those good memories might even help you with competitions. Probably any situation, too!" He advised. "All of those bad memories, you just have to _let it go." _We both chuckled. I nodded my head and gave him a hug. Not a romantic one, but one siblings would share with each other.

"Thank you Finn."

"No problem."

"Oh and Finn?" We broke our embrace.

"Yeah?"

"Isn't Amanda a vegetarian?" Finn's eyes filled with horror.

"Oh no!" He muttered and hurried into the kitchen. Unlike Amanda, Jess and I, Finn frowned and whined when he saw no sign of pork, beef, or chicken on his plate.

**Hope you guys enjoyed it! **

** Sparkie926: Of course! I have a ton of ideas with the two of them that I'm hoping to try out! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**A/N: Requested by Sparkie926. Finn and Philby are going to face their fears together!**

**It takes place during KK3 and KK4! Hope all of you like it! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Kingdom Keepers, National Pet Day, or Disney.**

**Philby's POV**

"Go Philby! You can do this!" I heard Willa cheer me on, a huge smile plastered on her face. I sighed, and glared at the demon-winged rat she cradled in her arms. The other Keepers and I were hanging out at the park celebrating 'Pet Day'.

One question lingered in my mind: _Who has a bat as a pet? _ The answer was apparently Willa's cousin who visited from up north and loves animals as much as she does.

I felt an encouraging pat on the back. Finn had a determined look on his face and nodded his head towards the bat.

"Come on Philby! Pet it! We're going to face our fears together right?" He questioned my promise, one eyebrow raised. I gulped and quickly nodded my head. I scowled at the beady eyed animal. I veered my gaze towards Willa. Behind her, Charlene and Maybeck were adoring a rabbit that one of their classmates introduced them to. Nearby, Jess and Amanda were conversing with a colorful parrot while stroking its red feathers. I turned back to Willa, secretly admiring the hopeful look she's giving me.

_Wait...what?_

"What if this…_thing_ turns into Chernabog?" I asked sheepishly, searching for some excuse. She scoffed at me.

"Yeah, and the snake that Finn's about to hold is Jafar." Finn widened his eyes at Willa's sarcastic comment. "Don't worry Finn, I was joking." He pouted which caused her to laugh. I frowned, _but I didn't know why! They're just playing around! Why does that bother me?_

"Touch the bat." He gently nudged me towards the monster. I shivered and hesitantly put my arm out towards it. My hand trembled as it gradually closed the distance. I watched as its nose sniffed my hand, and I grimaced as I waited for its teeth to clamp down on my arm.

Nothing happened. I used my pointer finger to rub the baby bat's head and a smile grew on my face.

"This isn't so bad." I admitted. Willa beamed at me and gave my arm a squeeze. "Now it's your turn Finn!" I announced, flourishing my hand towards the cage with the ball python. The pet owner was none other than my best friend outside of the Keepers, Hugo.

Finn inched his way towards the cage and watched as Hugo opened it and gently pulled the serpent out. The shiny black eyes looked like dark pepper seeds and its albino body had faded yellow patches.

He took a deep breath and held his hand out. The snake slithered onto his palm and wrapped itself around his fingers. Its forked tongue flickered out of its mouth, which made Finn twitch a little. He tilted his head, inspecting the snake and grinned. I patted him on the shoulder.

"Great job Finn!" I complimented, glad that he was getting over his fear of snakes.

"You're right Philby, this isn't so bad!" Finn exclaimed. He smiled at Hugo. "Thanks for letting me hold her. She's beautiful."

"No problem." It sounded a little forced, but Finn didn't seem to notice. I stole a glance at Hugo and noticed that something seemed off. Something different was about him.

But I brushed it aside, thinking that it wasn't such a big deal. He's one of my best friends;_ there's nothing wrong with him._

**Guest: Thank you for your review on the third chapter!**

**Someone/Guest: Sure! And thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry guys! I was busy for the last couple of months! I hope you all had a Wonderful Thanksgiving! Thank you for reading, reviewing and following my stories!**

**This story was requested by a Guest/Someone! I hope you'll enjoy it! This story connects with one of the earlier chapters too!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Kingdom Keepers or Disney.**

**Chapter 6**

**Jess's POV**

The marble countertop felt cool against my fingertips. I drummed the countertop with my fingers as I heard Amanda flip through the papers that Mrs. Angelo handed to us. There were maps of the house, individual rooms, what cabinets held what, instructions on how to operate the appliances, and even a paper that lists the favorite shows that Willa likes to watch! Amanda began whistling to "Love Is an Open Door" and I hummed along to the tune.

"We should eat a salad." I suggested as I traced over the countertops design.

"Finn's going to complain though." Amanda pointed out. I sighed and turned to face her.

"Amanda, we're taking care of Willa…not Finn!" I reminded her. She rolled her eyes.

"I was thinking of macaroni and cheese-"We suddenly heard a scream. I sprinted out the kitchen to see Finn hysterically laughing at Willa's fearful expression. I sighed and stormed back into the kitchen.

"Amanda! You need to control your boyfriend! He's scaring Willa!" She rolled her eyes as she poured the pale shells into the boiling water. I ran the water on the sink and we began to wash the vegetables. The cold water trickling through my fingers soothed me, but the mood began to darken.

"How are your dreams Jess?" She asked, her words overflowing with concern.

"They're becoming more realistic." I replied hesitantly. She dropped the carrots into the bowl.

"Do you get hurt while having those visions?" Her eyes beckoned mine to look at them. I shook my head.

"I see the number 13 a lot. And I saw Mickey Mouse and a wristwatch on a bunch of them." I then added, "Before I wake up, the last thing I see is this gravestone with the words 'It's about time'." Amanda looked at the ground, trying to make sense of everything. "We should talk about something else." I suggested. She nodded. She acts like it's her permanent job to make sure I'm safe and sound. _She truly is my sister._

I looked at the map of the kitchen and located the cabinet housing all of the knives. I chuckled at the sight of the cleaver, remembering Willa and Finn's story about the dough boys. Nervously, I held two knives, carefully walking with them, not wanting to accidently hurt someone. I felt like I was breathing in paranoia; with every anxious breath I took, the more I felt like something wrong is going to happen. I felt like that with my dreams: knowing that you had an object or ability or information that's potentially dangerous isn't a very great feeling to have. Amanda must've noticed my expression.

"You want me to cut the vegetables for you?" She offered. I shook my head. I want to help her, too. I want to make sure she doesn't have to carry a bunch of burdens for the rest of her life. _I hope she doesn't think of me as a burden._

"Nah, I want to help you cut them."

We heard a laugh through the door as we were cutting up the washed vegetables.

"See they're perfectly fine!" Amanda pointed out. Then we faintly heard Finn say,

"Charlene, Jess and Amanda kept sobbing, too." Amanda widened her eyes.

"I did not!" She protested. She grinned at the cut up vegetables.

Soon enough, the vegetables were tossed up into a salad and the pasta became creamy and cheesy. My stomach growled at the sight of the food. I turned to my sister.

"Amanda…" She steered her gaze away from her food to me. "Thanks for all that you've done for me."

"Aww, Jessie. I love you and I love taking care of you!" She enveloped me in a warm hug.

"I love you, too." I said with as much sincerity as I could muster.

Suddenly, Finn burst through the door all flustered.

"What're we having for lunch?" He demanded with a worried expression. A stern look from Amanda shrank his attitude. "Sorry, I mean can I please see what we're having for lunch, please!" He said in a quieter voice. We revealed our menu to him and he pouted.

"No meat!" He whined, carrying some of the plates to the dining table. _He's probably going to me by brother-in-law,_ I thought as I tried to suppress my grin.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello guys! Sorry for the delay! But I finally updated!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Keepers or Disney.**

**Chapter 7**

**Philby's POV**

I turned on my phone to see if she finally texted back. _Of course! Nothing! No voicemail, no text mess-_

"Philby?" A gentle voice softly beckoned for my attention. Despite the tone, her words shattered my thoughts to pieces. "Are you alright?" Willa asked, concerned. The rest of them were staring at the two of us. Escher's Keep didn't feel like such a safe place anymore.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I struggled to keep the frustration out of my voice. I wasn't angry at any of the Keepers, especially not Willa. But my unhappiness escaped through my mouth. My stomach squirmed at the sight of her crestfallen face.

"I'm sorry. I'm not upset at you guys. It's-"

"Molly." Finn finished. I nodded, a little embarrassed. I have talked about Molly a lot to the Keepers. Some of them said that I talked about her too much. I've told Molly a lot about myself; I even described some of the adventures at the Parks and what it's like being a Keeper. She's a really good listener, but she doesn't elaborate about her life as much as I do. She claims that it's pretty boring compared to mine. Also, what bothers me is how she barely hangs out with me, and when we do hang out, I do most of the talking. She rarely answers my calls. She doesn't respond to my texts. I sometimes wonder what she's doing when I'm not around.

But the thing that bothered me the most was how it affected the Keepers. I felt like they were drifting away from me. Whenever we hang out together, I always cringe whenever it seems that Willa is really close to Maybeck and Finn. If Maybeck makes Willa laugh or if Finn helps her with something, I can't help but feel like I have an issue with that.

But I'm not supposed to be bothered by that. I'm not supposed to be jealous.

But maybe I am jealous. Maybe I'm jealous that those three make each other happy and Molly doesn't seem glad when she's with me.

**Willa's POV**

Jess and I gathered our belongings from our locker. We were just about to leave the campus, when we suddenly heard a raspy voice.

"_Help…" _It weakly bounced off the walls. We hurriedly navigated our way towards the voice, passing by Molly and her snickering clique. _Shouldn't Philby be with them? _They all glared our way, and an unsettling realization broke through.

"Is it just me or do they look like they all have green eyes?" Jess laughed it off, probably thinking that it was just her paranoia. With just one glance at my face, her expression transformed into a frightened one. We continued to follow the faint cries for help, both of us trying not to think what kind of horror we'll find.

I gasped as I saw Philby slumped against the dented lockers. He was clutching his stomach and the side of his face was purple and bright red. _How strong are the green eyes? Did he even try to fight back?_ Jess and I kneeled beside him.

"Philby?" My voice struggled to come out.

"Hey…"He coughed out. "I'm not feeling so good." He weakly chuckled. I helped him up as Jess fished her phone out of her purse and started dialing the others.

"Why did they do this to you?" I asked softly.

"They got the information they wanted out of me." He winced. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so careless like that." _You shouldn't date girls like that, _I thought to myself.

"So, I guess she dumped you?" I awkwardly tried to lighten up the mood.

"Well, I'm definitely more than heartbroken right now." He gave me a grim, yet somehow charming smile. I looked away, not wanting to face him. "But I'm glad to have someone like you to cheer me up." He stated as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to follow Jess out of the campus.

We had to meet with the others.


End file.
